Causality orientations among individuals with first-episode psychosis

There is growing recognition that motivation among individuals with psychosis may influence both participation in, and response to, psychosocial interventions. Consequently, there is an increasing call for organizing treatment settings in ways that increase motivation among individuals with psychosis. However, empirical evidence suggests that whether a specific setting/event promotes motivation depends upon individuals’ idiosyncratic interpretation (i.e. causality orientation) of that setting/event. Thus, the goal of this study is to examine causality orientations among individuals with first-episode psychosis and compare these to causality orientations among individuals without psychosis. Our results suggest that, similar to persons without psychosis, individuals with first-episode psychosis show a bias toward interpreting environmental events and personal behavior as determined by personal choice/goals. However, the magnitude of this bias is smaller among individuals with first-episode psychosis, such that they are more likely to perceive events as uncontrollable or regulated by external factors than individuals without psychosis.